NEW YORK -- Gasoline consumption reached its highest level since 2007 during August, according to a Reuters report.
In response to lower gasoline prices, motorists are using their cars more and buying larger vehicles with lower gasoline mileage, according to the report.
The increase essentially wipes out nearly a decade of consumption decline, the report said.
Gasoline consumption averaged 9.5 million barrels per day (bpd) during August, according to the Energy Information Administration, the highest seasonal level since 2007.
As the summer drew to a close, consumption was up by around 400,000 bpd, about 5%, compared with 2014.
The volume of traffic on U.S. roads is also rising fast, and the increase is apparent in states as diverse as New Hampshire and Florida.
Florida’s traffic rose by almost 3% in the first six months of 2015 compared with the same period in 2014, the fastest increase since 2005, according to the state department of transportation as reported by Reuters.
New Hampshire’s traffic was up by around 2.5% between January and July compared with the same months in 2014, the fastest increase in more than a decade.
Motorists are also buying larger, more fuel-hungry vehicles, Reuters reported. Car sales were up by 2.7% in August compared with the prior year but light truck sales surged 5.5%, according to Wards Auto.
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